Animal decoys are known in the art as tools for use in hunting, photography, animal watching, target practice, and other outdoor sports and activities. Decoys are generally intended to attract animals to the location of the decoys. Accordingly, decoys are often designed to look like the animals they are intended to represent. Often, decoys are manipulated in some way to simulate movement of the animal, as well. For example, there exist in the art manual jerk strings for use with duck decoys. These jerk strings include an anchor or other weight attached to a flexible cord like a bungee cord. One or more buoyant duck decoys are attached to the cord and placed in the water. At the other end, a hunter repeatedly pulls a string 18-24 inches and releases it, thus stretching and releasing the cord. This repeated movement causes the duck decoys to move back and forth on the water as though the ducks are swimming. A primary problem with such an apparatus is that the constant and repetitive movement of the cord may cause the hunter's hand to get tired. Another problem is that the movement is typically started when animals are known to be close by, such that when an animal is near but unknown, no movement occurs. In this case, the benefits of having a moveable decoy are not realized. Also, requiring the hunter to remain stationary near the end of the cord while pulling and releasing the line does not allow the hunter to remain as concealed (as the movement by the hunter to create movement on the decoys is often a problem in and of itself) and/or to move into a favorable or strategic position for observing and aiming at ducks or other animals that may be attracted to the decoys.
Other products exist in the prior art and in the industry for achieving the purpose of simulating animal movement through the use of decoys. For example, some products feature a large motor that pulls and releases a string or other cable attached to decoys. These products are large, bulky, and expensive, which is unfavorable to hunters who already have to keep track of and transport hunting equipment, guns, food, decoys, and even hunting dogs with them when they travel to a hunting destination. Also, these products must often be attached to bulky frames and secured in the ground. They are often loud, generate movement other than at the decoys, and require a larger amount of electrical power to operate.
Other products that exist on the market or that are described in existing prior art have motorized spools for retracting and releasing a line attached to one or more decoys but either require elaborate anchoring apparatuses or expose the spool and/or motorized portions to the elements, which can either cause them to malfunction or can cause debris to get caught in the reel mechanisms.
Thus, the need arises for a small, compact, and portable device that can be used in a decoy apparatus. Specifically, there exists a need for a portable, low-power device that features a weatherproof enclosure to house a motor, a rechargeable power source, and a reel, such that the motor can repeatedly wind and release the reel, causing a cable or other line to retract and release. The line may be attached to an anchor or other solid mount on an opposite end and may have one or more decoys attached thereto, such that the repetitive winding and releasing of the line causes the decoy or decoys to move back and forth.